


Shadows

by xfrancesca



Series: Transcendental [2]
Category: Spartacus: Vengeance
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon Gay Relationship, Established Relationship, M/M, Supernatural Elements, Wordcount: 5.000-10.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-04
Updated: 2012-06-04
Packaged: 2017-11-06 21:00:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/423138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xfrancesca/pseuds/xfrancesca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Colorado, the boys take on a case that involves a supernatural creature they've never encountered before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shadows

_Canon City, Colorado_

_  
_

There was something about having breakfast at a diner that felt so damn _right_. Nasir wasn't big on eating out often (but hey, when you travel the country all year 'round, you have no other choice), but if there was one thing he loved, it was walking into a small cozy diner at around 8 AM and having a coffee and a short stack, reading the paper and watching the world around him come to life. That's why when he and Agron awoke that morning (to the sound of the alarm on Agron's phone that played Motorhead), Nasir got ready quicker than he normally would because they had passed a homey-looking joint when they drove to the motel the night before, and his stomach was doing some serious growling.

Agron had an even bigger appetite than him, but he loved his sleep and would much rather snooze the day away. Too bad there was a job to be done and a breakfast to be eaten. He sat in the booth at the diner with slumped shoulders, sinking lower into the seat and tugging his beanie even lower, trying to cover his eyes. Across the table, Nasir hummed softly as he sipped his coffee; _black, one sugar,_ and read the local paper at his leisure. Agron reached for his own cup, eyes half-covered by the fabric of his hat and brought it up to his lips, taking a small, unsatisfied sip.

He regarded Nasir with feigned dissatisfaction. He remembered when Nasir used to have beautiful, long black hair that Agron could card his fingers through, but he decided about three years ago that it made him stick out too much, so he cut his hair pretty short, almost akin to Agron's current hairstyle. Agron loved it too, in a way, because it brought all the attention to Nasir's gorgeous face, and _man_ , Agron was such a _sap_ when it came to his boyfriend. He just wanted to lean over the table and pepper his face with kisses. Press his lips against the tip of Nasir's nose and his chin, kiss his temple and the scar on his eyebrow that had been there since he met him.

“You'll feel better once you get some food in you,” Nasir said, eyes not straying from the words on the paper, abruptly snapping Agron out of his reverie. Agron huffed and didn't say a word. There was a small smirk on Nasir's face, and he tapped his pen against a particular article he found, encircling it with the blue ink. That piqued Agron's interest and he pushed his hat up just a little so he could see what Nasir had found, but Nasir made no attempt to push the paper towards him. Agron sighed again, and he knew what Nasir was doing; ignoring him until Agron stopped acting like a giant two year old. Well, that would take a while.

The waitress brought their food over, setting the pancakes and warm syrup in front of Nasir, and the giant omelet with home fries, toast, and _waffles_ , of course, in front of Agron. Nasir thanked her and she walked away, and the smell of food made Agron sit up straighter. He could have sworn he heard Nasir chuckle, but he pushed it to the back of his mind as he shoveled a large forkful of the omelet into his mouth, barely able to contain the moan of pleasure.

“So a woman was killed two nights ago while walking down the street at night with her friend,” Nasir said. Agron chewed the food in his mouth and swallowed, looking up at Nasir with slightly clearer eyes.

“And you think it's something supernatural?” Agron asked. Nasir took another sip of his coffee before pouring a generous amount of syrup onto his stack of pancakes. He nodded and cut a piece with the side of his fork, pausing before taking a bite to explain it further.

“She was _completely_ drained of blood. The friend that was with her wasn't hurt but says that she didn't see anything. According to her, Emily just dropped to the ground, as if she fainted. But when the paramedics arrived, they saw that she didn't have a drop of blood in her system.” Nasir sighed and finally took a large bite of his food, the look of content upon his face seemingly rivaling Agron's.

“We should go check it out later,” Agron said. “See the victim's friend.” Nasir smiled slightly and Agron looked down at his own plate. “Just as soon as I finish this deliciousness,” he added, and ate another forkful.

 

 

“I'm so full,” Agron said with a sigh. “Can't we just go back to the motel and take a nap?” Nasir gave him a harsh look and continued the walk up to the house. Agron sighed and followed, feeling slightly stifled in his suit. The woman that opened the door certainly looked to be grieving; dark circles under her eyes and her brown hair limp and mussed up. She looked at Nasir with mild curiosity, and then her eyes traveled up to Agron's face.

“Can I help you?” Melissa asked, her voice soft and scratchy. Nasir and Agron flashed their FBI Ids and introduced themselves using one of their many aliases.

“Melissa Pratt, we have some questions concerning the death of Emily Shaneson,” Agron said, and Melissa's eyes averted to the ground. She leaned against the doorway and sighed softly, seemingly contemplating something.

“Yeah, sure,” she said, and stepped to the side, letting the two men walk in.

 

 

“So could you please explain what happened?” Nasir asked once they were settled on the couch in the living room. Melissa sighed and sat across from them, one of her hands going to her face, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger.

“I wish I didn't have to,” she said. The corners of Nasir's mouth turned downward and he glanced at Agron.

“We're sorry, Ms. Pratt,” Agron said in that soft, caring voice that he used rarely on occasions other than speaking to Nasir. The woman sighed and leaned back into the couch, her hand dropping to her lap.

“Emily and I were walking home from a friend's house,” her blue eyes focused on a spot on the wall, refusing to meet Agron or Nasir's. “It wasn't too far away so I would've never guessed... Anyway, we were walking, and suddenly she said she was feeling strange. She started looking around, as if someone were following us,”

“But there was no one else on the street, right?” Agron asked. Melissa nodded.

“Yeah. That's when she started screaming. It freaked me out, and then she just... collapsed. She was so pale, and, I guess you know, they found no blood in her. _None_. As if someone drained her right in front of me, but I was with her the whole time.” She sighed shakily, her eyes finally meeting Agron's. “I have no clue what it could have been,” she said softly, her eyebrows furrowing in thought. Agron swallowed and looked away for a moment, so Nasir was the one to chime in.

“Now, can you try to remember if there was anything strange that happened right before the attack? Perhaps it got colder, flickering street lights, odd noises...” He waited for a reaction, and after a few moments her eyes widened.

“Actually, there was something...” Melissa thought back to the night, chewing thoughtfully on her bottom lip. “A smell. It was disgusting, and really strong. I thought it might have been the garbage cans at the end of the street, but the scent was way too harsh to be traveling half a block like that. There was also like, a clapping sound? But it must've been something else. I barely registered it before she... dropped.”

 

 

Nasir sat Indian-style on the bed in his boxers and one of Agron's shirts, searching through a few books. Agron was on the floor, back against the bed, surfing the web in hopes of trying to find out what it could have been that attacked that woman. The television played silently in the background, some reality TV show that involved web clips of teenagers breaking their arms in skateboard accidents and elephants painting. Great American entertainment.

“Hey, look,” Agron turned around and faced the bed, placing the laptop on top of Nasir's open book. Nasir raised an eyebrow at him but read the article that was opened in the browser.

“So this wasn't the first incident here?” Nasir asked. Agron shook his head, clicking on another tab that showed a very similar occurrence a few months ago, and then another tab, in which there was an article about three college students found dead on the street, completely drained of blood. That particular article was dated five months ago and happened in just one town over. “Well,” Nasir said, handing the laptop back to Agron. “I think I might know what it is, anyway.”

“Yeah?” Agron closed the laptop and placed it on the floor, getting up and making Nasir scoot over so he could sit on the bed too. Nasir gave him a smile and held it up, showing him the highlighted part in the book. Agron skimmed the passage quickly, his chin resting on Nasir's shoulder.

“Aw, shit, a Sigbin?” Agron said, and Nasir nodded, closing the book and dropping it on the bed.

“Yeah,” he said, and Agron was at a loss. They'd never taken on a Sigbin. Naevia would probably know how to kill it (and if not her, then her maniacal hunter of a husband knew how), but for the moment the prospect of calling it a day's work and cuddling with Nasir seemed much brighter for Agron.

“It explains the smell Melissa told us about, and the reason why she didn't see anything attack Emily. The Sigbin can make itself invisible, and it feeds on the blood of the _shadow_ , not the actual person, so it can kill someone without anyone seeing a thing. Plus, the clapping thing, that's the Sigbin's freaky, giant ears clapping together.” Nasir turned to face Agron, whose green eyes were looking quite weary, and he reached up and patted Agron's hair down where it stuck up on the side. Hat hair, always. Agron closed his eyes briefly, wrapping his arms around Nasir and burying his face in his neck.

“Let's just lay down,” Agron said, guiding Nasir backwards until his head touched the pillows. “Today was a long day.” Nasir smiled and sighed softly, closing his eyes. Yeah, he was feeling pretty tired as well. “Or,” Agron whispered, “we could,” he pressed a soft kiss to Nasir's neck, and Nasir tilted his head to the side to give him more room to do that because, yeah, it was great, “do something else.” He grinned up at Nasir and kissed his neck again, this time sucking the skin into his mouth and biting gently. Nasir moaned softly, his hands going to Agron's hair and carding his fingers through the brunette locks. Agron's lips traveled to his ear, taking his earlobe into his mouth before moving on and kissing along his jaw.

“You're too much,” Nasir said with a chuckle, but he grabbed Agron's face anyway and kissed him. Agron made a content sound and he shifted his position, swinging one leg over and straddling Nasir's hips instead, his weight on his elbows on either side of Nasir's head. Agron pulled away for a second and looked down at him, teasingly grinding his ass down on Nasir's crotch, and the Syrian made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a gasp and he leaned up, catching Agron's lips again slipping his tongue inside his mouth.

Agron was slowly grinding his hips in small circles again Nasir's growing erection, and the younger man gasped softly and bit Agron's lower lip, giving him a smirk when he pulled away. Agron grinned and reached between them to cup Nasir's hardening dick, and Nasir's back arched _just a little_ and he would buck his hips but Agron was currently sitting on his thighs, holding him there.

“You're mine,” Agron said roughly, and Nasir smirked.

“Wouldn't have it any other way,” he replied, and their lips crashed together once more. It was always amazing, no matter how long they've been together, or many times they have been with each other, seen one another in the throes of passion, made sex fast and sloppy, or nice and slow. No matter how many times they've been with one another, the mere thought of it sent a spark through Agron's body, and Nasir's as well. If there was one good choice Agron had made in his life, it was being with Nasir. But that wasn't a choice as much as it was some sort of destiny, right?

They helped each other rid the few clothes they wore pretty quickly, and Agron resumed his position on top of his boyfriend, while Nasir's legs wrapped around Agron's waist. Their naked bodies were pressed flush against one another, and Nasir turned away from Agron's lips in order to lewdly spit in his palm, the eroticism of the action going straight down to Agron's dick, and Nasir looked up at him knowingly, a small smirk playing on his lips. He reached down with his hastily-lubricated hand and grabbed both of their dicks in one hand, pumping his hand up and down their lengths while Agron stared down at him with unbridled lust. He gasped softly and cursed under his breath, kissing Nasir's neck and burying his face there.

Nasir stilled his hand and Agron got the memo, beginning to thrust his hips into the strong grip, rubbing his flesh against the other man's. Nasir was biting his bottom lip, his brows drawing together as he let out a soft, whimpering sound. Agron smiled and looked at Nasir's face, gently reaching out and pulling his lip from under the pressure of his teeth, leaning in and licking the invisible indents. He sucked Nasir's bottom lip into his mouth, gently scraping his teeth against it, his hips continuing to move in that slow, steady thrust.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Nasir hissed, reaching up to grab Agron's hair roughly, pulling him away from his lips. Agron's head was tilted back from the way Nasir was pulling, but Nasir didn't ease up. He leaned up and bit Agron's collarbone, eliciting a hiss of pain from the larger man, soon replaced with a moan when Nasir licked a trail up his neck. He mumbled something against his skin that Agron didn't quite catch at first, and he whimpered when Nasir's hand left his hot flesh. His mind soon caught up with what he was doing, and he got off of Nasir for a moment while the smaller man turned onto his stomach instead, settling his arms under the pillow and pressing his face against the fabric, turning and looking at Agron in that teasing way as he raised his ass just a little, his legs spreading open obscenely.

Agron forgot how to breathe just by looking at him, but thankfully the part of his mind that controlled his body was still working, because he easily moved to lay on top of Nasir, biting the skin at the juncture of his shoulder and neck, his hips thrusting against his ass, smearing pre-cum on Nasir's lower back and the cleft of his ass. Nasir moaned and teasingly arched his back, pressing his ass right against Agron's dick, and it felt so good that Agron had to stop for a second and just _wow, I have the hottest guy ever_ , and Nasir turned his head to the side and Agron cupped his chin, kissing him despite the odd angle, all tongues and teeth and roughness. Nasir moaned and Agron moved his lips down to the back of his neck, his nose pressed against his clean-smelling hair while he peppered the skin with kisses.

They only stopped so Agron could find the condom and lube he had placed in the nightstand earlier (always prepared), and after chuckling softly at the fact that they were neatly laid on the bible in the drawer, grabbed them. Nasir reached out and took the condom from him, opening it with his teeth like he so often did, and there was Agron; lost in a haze of lust that was so consuming that he might have forgotten his own name in the process.

Nasir gave him a smirk and turned to lay on his back again, pulling Agron towards him. Agron fell forwards and resumed kissing Nasir with fervor while the smaller man reached low and rolled the condom on Agron's dick, pumping him a few times once it was on. Agron let out a noise close to a groan and he settled himself in between Nasir's open legs, pulling his lips away in order to squeeze some lube onto his fingers, working them together in order to warm it up, his tongue peeking out to lick his lips as he stared at Nasir, whose pupils were blown, lips red and glimmering with saliva, mouth open in a small _O_ as he watched Agron tease him in the best way.

Agron's hand finally reached between Nasir's legs and to the heat there, the Syrian's legs spreading even wider in a blissfully unashamed action, granting him access. It didn't take too long before two of Agron's fingers were deep inside Nasir, and his lips were on Nasir's, their kisses hot and languid while Agron rubbed the pads of his fingers against the spot inside him that caused Nasir to make that sinfully delicious moan that was sometimes a whine or a whimper, that caused his thighs to tremble just slightly and a bead of sweat roll down the side of his perfect face. Agron moaned at the sight before him and sped up the work of his fingers, wanting to bring Nasir to the edge and back, tease him and make him shake with the pleasure of it all. Nasir's hand was suddenly on his wrist, gripping tight, and he guided him wordlessly. _Faster_ , _harder_ , and he did, and oh _god,_ the look on Nasir's face, and Agron couldn't wait longer, so he removed his fingers, instantly missing the feeling of it.

Nasir looked up at him pleadingly, like he just took something precious away from him, but Agron was soon guiding himself with a slightly-shaking hand, and he pressed, pushing inside the tight heat of Nasir, and kept going, relishing the soft sounds and little breaths coming from Nasir. When he was buried inside he rested for a moment, pressing his forehead against Nasir's, holding one of the smaller man's thighs to his side, and they fit together perfectly. Agron wasn't surprised at the flood of tenderness he felt for Nasir at that moment, because he loved him always, but right then, when they were pressed against one another and impossibly close, Agron knew that he would never want to be with anyone else.

Nasir's hands were on Agron's shoulders, gripping the muscle there, and Agron kissed him again, slipping his tongue inside while he slowly pulled out of Nasir, only to thrust back in again. Nasir moaned into Agron's mouth and Agron swallowed it whole, felt himself consumed with thoughts of the body below him. He kept his grip on that one thigh, holding it steady against his hip as he began to thrust in an out, pulling away from the kiss just to look down and see the look on Nasir's face; hear the sound he made every time Agron filled him up completely. Nasir looked back up at him, biting his lip and returning Agron's intense gaze with one of his own.

Agron let go of the thigh, Nasir's legs wrapping around his hips instead, ankles hooking in the back, and Agron braced himself on his hands, not once breaking eye contact as he sped up his pace, groaning at the wonderful heat of Nasir, the small sounds he made and the look in his eyes. He thrust steadily into him, knowing exactly how to move in order to get him off, his hips moving in a fluid, practiced motion. Nasir gasped and his hand went down to his own cock, beginning to jerk himself off while Agron brushed his prostate with every thrust.

He could tell by the increasing speed of Nasir's breath, by the way he cursed under his breath and the way his own hips undulated with Agron's thrusts, that he was close. Agron smiled, eyes slipping shut for a moment so he could lose himself in his pleasure, and when he opened his eyes again he saw Nasir was _so close_ , so Agron stopped his thrusts for just a moment, just so he could reach a hand down, and after a reassuring look from Nasir, pushed his index finger inside of him, nestling it between his own cock and Nasir's body, and with a few more strokes of his own hand, Nasir came, his back arching and his thighs shaking. He let out a long moan and dropped back down onto the bed, his breaths coming harsh and fast.

Agron smirked and pulled his finger out, but stayed buried inside of him. He leaned down to catch Nasir's lips in a kiss. Nasir's ankles were unhooked and his thighs were spread, so Agron hooked his hands in the backs of Nasir's knees, pushing them upwards easily. Nasir could barely kiss Agron back, being pretty spent at that point, but he did give Agron a smile and a peck on the lips, so Agron gripped tight and resumed his thrusting, loving the way that Nasir was giving him all the power. He thrust a few more times before he felt the heat inside him burst to conclusion, a shudder going through him and Nasir's name escaping his lips.

He sighed and laid on top of Nasir, still inside of him, and decided to rest like that for a moment. Just until his breathing and heart rate returned to normal. They shared another kiss, this one more tender, taking their time. Their previous forest fire of lust dwindled down to a small flame from being temporarily sated, but it would never completely extinguish.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Nasir said with that beautiful mouth of his. Agron laughed, wrapping his arms around his midsection and pressing a few lighthearted kisses to Nasir's clavicles, as well as the dip between them. His scruff rubbed against Nasir's soft skin, and _yeah_ , did he mention he was the luckiest guy alive?

 

 

Agron called Naevia the next day while Nasir was out getting food. He paced the small room while the phone rang, and when she didn't pick up he left the phone on the nightstand and decided he would call a little later. He was started to get restless, because the sooner they find out how to kill the Sigbin, the safer everyone would be. Who knows when the thing would attack again? Hell, maybe it would even be tonight. He tried flipping through the channels on the TV, barely sticking to one channel for more than three minutes. It was all shit, so he turned the radio on instead and found a decent rock station. He felt slightly better when The White Stripes started playing, he did the logical thing and air guitar'd the _fuck_ out of it.

“At least I know you're getting some serious work done while I'm gone,” Nasir commented as he walked back into the room. Agron stopped in the middle of his (particularly good) session and stepped down from the bed, walking over to Nasir and giving him a kiss on the cheek before snooping around in the bag like the kid he was. “It's all salad. Organic. With tofu and soy sauce and edamame,” Nasir was just messing around but he loved the complete look of shock/disgust on Agron's face.

“You want to murder me,” Agron deadpanned. “You started dating me just as an elaborate plan to kill me one day.”

“Oh yeah,” Nasir nodded, sarcasm practically dripping like syrup from his words. “Of course. I dated you for five years just so I can off you, my weapon of choice being vegetables.” Agron scoffed at that, but was relieved to find a burger in there just for him. He looked at Nasir and opened his mouth, but before he could get the question out, Nasir said

“Yeah, of course there's bacon on it,” and Agron practically beamed with joy.

 

 

“Okay, Sigbins...” Naevia said. She was on speakerphone, having called only a few minutes after Nasir arrived, and both men were settled at the table, eating, a notepad and pen nearby to take down notes.

“Ijs filipuhn mygoloty,” Agron said through a full mouth.

“... What?” Naevia asked, sounding slightly bemused. Nasir laughed.

“He said it's a part of Philippine mythology. A hornless goat-type thing,” Nasir explained, and he could hear Naevia clicking her tongue.

“Right, right. These are tricky because they can change their shape, appear invisible, or show up only on the walls or the ground where the person's shadow is. I think I might know how to kill it, though, but you should do it soon.”

“Why?” Agron asked.

“Holy week,” she explained, “Easter is coming up, and that's typically when the Sigbin starts hunting more than it usually does.”

“No,” Nasir said, “that can't be right, because we found articles. This thing has been springing up around the area for the past couple of months.”

“Well, who were its victims? Adults or children?”

“Adults,” Nasir said, and almost knew what she was going to say before the words left her mouth.

“Right, well, during Holy Week the thing goes specifically after children. I suggest you guys make haste. It's bad enough losing civilians, but kids? I hope you have a pad and pen ready, because I just found what you're gonna need to bust it.”

 

The two men had been walking the streets in the same area of Emily's death for what was probably a few hours. They were used to long walks, but with each passing minute, their hopes dimmed.

“Hey,” Agron whispered. “If anything, we'll come back around here tomorrow.” His feet hurt and his gun felt heavy in his hands. One thing he did notice, though, was the lack of people on the streets. Only two people had passed by them in the hours they had been monitoring the place, and those people barely acknowledged their existence before continuing on their brisk pace. Agron looked around the dim street; store fronts closed and street lamps glowing a dull orange, the moon in the sky offering more illumination than them.

“Ag...” Nasir whispered from a few feet in front of him, and Agron's ears immediately perked up and he walked over to him. “You smell that?” He asked, and Agron sniffed the air cautiously. Smelled like a garbage can in the middle of summer. But it definitely wasn't summer and there wasn't a garbage can in their vicinity. Nasir pulled out his gun and loaded it with silver bullets, his deft fingers making quick work of it.

“Shit,” Agron said, ignoring the urge to cover his nose. The smell was getting worse, and he had to keep himself in check or he would end up throwing up, which wasn't the best idea in the middle of a mission. His eyes glanced around and noticed that the dim street lights were now flickering-- something they weren't doing a few seconds ago. Agron's posture immediately straightened and he poised his gun, ready to attack. He heard a sound from somewhere behind him, a huffing of sorts, and he shot at the area he assumed it was coming from. Nasir looked at him and then cocked his head slightly to the side, waiting to hear something. Meanwhile, the rotten smell was getting more putrid, and it began resembling the scent of a dead body in the process of decomposition.

Suddenly, Agron felt a sharp stab of pain in his back and he let out a strangled yell, falling to his knees. It felt like someone stuck a knife in him, or a knife attached to a vacuum because he could practically _feel_ the blood being drained out of him, leaving him weak and pained. He called Nasir's name and Nasir was there with the bright UV torch in his hand, pointing it straight at the creature. Nasir's eyes narrowed as the creature became visible; an odd, almost kangaroo-looking thing, with huge hind legs and a head bent low; long, sharp teeth peaking out from its muzzle. Nasir fired two quick shots, but the beast was quicker as it jumped off the side, once more becoming invisible. Agron braced himself on his forearms as he fell face-first onto the pavement, the pain in his back radiating up to his frantically beating heart.

Nasir cast a worried look his way, and in that half-second of distraction he was knocked onto his back and skidded a few feet along the pavement, the air knocked out of him. He wheezed out and grabbed for his gun, but in a second that was sent flying as well, clattering to the ground about fifteen feet away. Nasir looked up with frantic eyes. Taking on an invisible attacker was _hard_. He reached for his flashlight and held it up, turning it on and exposing the beast. The creature was sitting on top of Nasir's stomach, its held bent low, nosing Nasir's chest experimentally, and Nasir was pulling his silver knife out of his holster when the thing finally decided to pierce through the fabric and skin of Nasir's chest.

He howled in pain as his back arched high off the ground, the pain going through his body making him feel like he was on fire. His hands shook, flashlight clattering to the ground and rolling away as he observed a dark shadow; his _own_ shadow, rising off his own body before collapsing back into him. Nasir was barely able to hold onto the knife, and his arm felt as if it weighed a ton as he tried to navigate the blade into the body of the creature.

He could barely breathe, taking small, quick inhales whenever he could manage it, and his head pounded in tandem with his heart, and just as the tip of his blade was pressed weakly against the hind leg of the Sigbin, there were three shots fired. The Sigbin stopped, retracted its teeth from Nasir's chest, a seemingly confused expression on its face before it completely disintegrated into a fine layer of black dust that coated Nasir as well as the ground around him.

He was helped up by Agron, and although he felt a wetness in the front of his shirt, he found he could finally breath, and he sucked in mouthfuls of oxygen into his lungs. He coughed and sputtered once or twice, but Agron held on to him tightly and Nasir rested his weight against him.

He felt the sticky black powder cling to his skin, and the accomplishment of killing the Sigbin and stopping it from harming any more people was overshadowed by the thought of going back to the hotel and taking a nice, hot shower. He looked up at Agron, who gave him a small smile, and Nasir smiled back, a chuckle escaping him. He sometimes wondered what he would do without Agron. _Probably die_.

 

 

There were to stay in Canon City for another night before taking off, maybe to a different part of the state or in a different state entirely, but for the time being, Agron was content laying in bed and half-watching TV, half-dozing off with Nasir cuddled next to him. Both of them had showered, surprised to see that even though their shirts were stained with a good amount of blood, there were no actual lacerations on their bodies.

Agron's eyes began to slip shut, and he opened them again to see a character on TV, a man with dark hair and eyebrows and a sharp jaw, and for a short, stabbing moment, Agron was reminded of Duro, and he turned away from the screen, into Nasir's arms instead.

“What's wrong?” Nasir asked. He wrapped his arms around him and pressed his nose into Agron's soft, sweet-smelling hair.

“Duro,” he said, and Nasir didn't need to say anything more. Losing his brother was exceptionally hard for Agron. It happened about six years ago, before Agron and Nasir got together. The experience of losing his brother in such a violent way, holding him in his arms as his eyes glazed over, numbed a part of Agron, a part that remained unfeeling to this day. It was after Duro passed that Agron turned hunting into a full-time ambition, riding along the country by himself for about a year before he met Nasir (who had been hunting for a few years then) in a bar in Pennsylvania. They had hit it off immediately, and what had began as a one night stand turned into a five year relationship. It was thanks to Nasir that he met Naevia, who helped them out immensely in finding and helping solve cases.

Every once a while, he would remember Duro. Either from a memory, or he would find a picture of himself and his little brother tucked away in his wallet, and it would sting again, and although Nasir never asked what exactly happened that killed Duro, he could mostly tell by now. The words tattooed on Agron's forearm were a good hint at that, his tanned skin decorated with small, winged words in Latin. An exorcism prayer. He knew it better than anything else, and Agron could exorcise a demon with impressive speed (although he hadn't in a while), but the black ink words served as a reminder of what he didn't do that one time. A staple of his sins, so he could always look down at his own skin and see his failings there, as well as what he had tried to accomplish since then. Sometimes, Nasir pressed his lips to the skin there and hoped that Agron would learn to forgive himself.

“Why?” Agron asked, his face close to Nasir's, their hands clasped together over the covers. “It's been six years, why doesn't it get any easier?” He hated how pathetic he sounded, but apparently Nasir didn't mind in the least, and he pressed a tender kiss to Agron's lips.

“I know,” he said, “grief never disappears. It's just dormant for a while. Then it comes back, strong as ever. It hurts.” Nasir spoke those words with hope that they would help Agron's mind stop racing, stop going through the same old carousel of guilt and shame and everything else that came along with when he thought of Duro. The memories that came to Agron's mind centered around Duro's death, and Nasir didn't know why he had blamed himself so harshly all of these years, why Agron didn't remember all the good times instead. Sometimes the past is just that, and no amount of self-hatred and thinking of the _could have been_ 's can change that. Nasir knew that pretty well himself, after what happened to both of his parents when he was younger.

Agron's breathing calmed and he pressed his face into the crook of Nasir's neck, inhaling his sweet scent and finding his mind slowly start to settle down. He _did_ remember many good things about Duro. Their banter, the way him and Agron would be sarcastic assholes to everyone around them. They finished each others' sentences and were able to communicate with just some eye contact and a quirk of the lips. They played perfectly off each other, so when he died it felt as if Agron lost a part of himself. More like half of his body, and now he roamed across the great American expanse in hope of saving others from monsters and demons and whatever seemed to come their way. Maybe it would provide Agron's soul with salvation; but could a couple of saved lives make up for the lost life of his only brother?

The television was turned off, and Nasir pulled away from Agron for a moment to place the remote on the nightstand. He settled back down in his previous position, their legs tangled together and their bodies close to one another, and in the dark, Agron ran a finger down the dark skin of Nasir's arm. He felt the warm skin underneath his touch, and when his fingers traveled back up again, he felt the hard ridges of muscle, cut and toned from years of running after supernatural beasts. His hand traveled up to Nasir's short, thick hair, feeling the bristle underneath his palm and smiling fondly.

“Do you ever think of growing it out again?” Agron asked. The room was almost completely dark, except for the soft glow of the moon which peered in through the small gap in the curtains. He could make out the general shape of his boyfriend's face, and he could even see when his lips curled upwards into a smile.

“Sometimes,” he said, “but I like this hair. It's inconspicuous. Easier to manage.” Agron nodded and cupped the back of Nasir's neck, pulling him in for a kiss. Nasir kissed back, one of his hands resting on the side of Agron's face. “Why?” He asked. “Did you like me better with long hair?”

Agron let out a breath of laughter, and he shook his head. “I love you for _you_ , not your hair.” Nasir appeared content with this, a small smile on his face. Comfortable silence grew between them, enveloping them in warmth and familiarity. Their breaths slowed down, became softer, and they allowed each others' presence to lull them to sleep.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't plan to write porn but it just sort of happened. Hope there's no objections to that.


End file.
